About Gib Docken

Gib Docken has had a vision of success in real estate since high school, and he made sound decisions throughout college to help achieve that success. Gib earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the Business School at the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 1970, where he majored in Real Estate Management and Investment Analysis. While still a college student, he obtained his Real Estate License, and worked as a resident manager of a 16 unit apartment building to both help defray his living costs and gain experience managing properties.

After graduating from UW – Madison, Gib started selling investment real estate with Investment Service, Inc. Within two years he became a part owner of that firm, and purchased three investment properties. Gib continued working at Investment Services until 1980, when 2 of the partners and he bought out the other owners and changed the name to Investment Realty Services. Prior to the consolidation of Investment Realty Services, Gib incorporated his own company, Docken Management, in 1977. Then, in 1990, he created Docken Realty and has since then been operating Docken Realty in conjunction with Docken Management. Gib has acquired and sold a large number of properties in Dane county while working within numerous successful partnerships with investors; all of which have been financially successful (they were based on cash flow, as opposed to operating as tax shelters).

Gib has been, and continues to be, active in the Realtors Association on local, state, and national levels. Most notably, he served as the President of the Madison Board of Realtors in 1986, and was then entrusted with the task of being the State Chairman for the Realtors Political Action Committee in 1988. Gib also helped write the Property Managers Handbook for the Madison Area Apartment Association and was named “Outstanding Member” in 1988. His text is still used to train property managers today, and all new members of the Apartment Association of Southern Wisconsin receive a copy of the handbook when they join.

Gib's involvement with building communities has often extended beyond real estate. Over the years he has been involved with the Downtown Madison Rotary, Devil's Head Ski Patrol, Nature Conservancy, Sierra Club, March of Dimes, United Way, Big Brothers, and The Rocky Mountain Horse Association.

Over the years Gib created a portfolio of successful real estate investments. This is due in part to his commitment to his family, and the resource that his family has been for him. For instance, his wife Gail has been both an emotional and financial partner. Gail works as the Chief Financial Officer for Docken Realty and Docken Management and has helped streamline the accounting. What Gail accomplishes in three days used to take two full-time employees five days. Gib has also been grooming his stepson, Paul Ninneman, to take over the company. Currently, Paul does brokerage and property management for both of the firms.